GoMRI Research Board Announces Request for Proposals (RFP-I for Research Consortia) for BP’s $500 Million Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

– April 25, 2011

(Click to enlarge) A pelican is cleansed of oil on May 15, 2010 at the Clean Gulf Associates Mobile Wildlife Rehabilitation Station on Ft. Jackson in Plaquemines Parish, La.

BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance announced today that the independent Research Board of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) has released its Request for Proposals for studies into the effects of the Deepwater Horizon incident and the potential associated impact on the environment and public health. The $500 million GoMRI is funded by BP and administered by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance.

(From BP) — “We are pleased that the Research Board has reached this important milestone in the development of the GoMRI,” said David Rainey, Vice President of Science, Technology, Environment, and Regulatory Affairs, for BP’s Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. “We are deeply grateful to the Research Board for their efforts to develop a rigorous, fair, and transparent scientific process.”

Today’s announcement details the provisions for administering the remaining years of the 10-year program. The independent Research Board of the GoMRI has created a selection process that includes an open Request for Proposals, peer review of the submissions, selection of the Research Consortia to study the five research themes, and award of funds during the summer of 2011.“I have been very impressed by the commitment of every member of the Research Board to create the sustainable processes that now underpin a program of the highest possible scientific quality,” said Rita Colwell, the Chair of the Research Board. “I could not have asked for a better team to take on this important challenge.”

Upon completion of the 10-year GoMRI, BP will have made significant investments in scientific research to understand the impact of the incident and improve our understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. Investments include:

$500 million to fund the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative over 10-years. The first $40 million in fast-track grants were given in June 2010 for the first year of the program to Louisiana State University ($5 million), the Northern Gulf Institute ($10 million), the Florida Institute of Oceanography ($10 million), the Alabama Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium ($5 million) and the National Institutes of Health ($10 million). BP is reviewing the status of year one block grants to ensure there are no gaps in gathering time critical data;

More than $100 million has been spent to date on water, sediment soil, air and other sampling and analysis under the direction of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command. (The results of these activities are summarized in the two reports of the Operational Scientific Advisory Team, available at www.restorethegulf.gov;

More than $150 million has been spent or committed to date for sampling and study conducted by or with the Natural Resource Damage Trustees to investigate the impact of the incident on natural resources and human use of those resources.

The research themes for the GoMRI are:

The physical distribution and ultimate fate of contaminants associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident.

The chemical evolution and biological degradation of the contaminants.

The environmental effects of the contaminants on Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, and the science of ecosystem recovery.

Integration of the previous four themes in the context of human health.

“We have created a structure which facilitates the unique, scientific knowledge of Gulf State academic institutions to study and to ultimately contribute to the viability of the Gulf Coast,” said Dr. Bill Walker, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and current Co-Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Management Team.

The GoMRI Research Board members are:

Debra Benoit, MEd Nicholls State University Peter Brewer, PhD Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Rita Colwell, PhD University of Maryland College Park Richard Dodge, PhD Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center John Farrington, PhD University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Kenneth Halanych, PhD Auburn University David Halpern, PhD California Institute of Technology William Hogarth, PhD University of South Florida Jörg Imbeger, PhD University of Western Australia Margaret Leinen, PhD Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch Raymond Orbach, PhD University of Texas at Austin Jürgen Rullkötter, PhD Inst. for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment David Shaw, PhD Mississippi State University John Shepherd, PhD University of Southampton Robert Shipp, PhD University of South Alabama Burton Singer, PhD University of Florida Ciro Sumaya, MD, MPHTM Texas A&M Health Science Center Denis Wiesenburg, PhD University of Southern Mississippi Charles Wilson, PhD Louisiana State University Dana Yoerger, PhD Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

All GoMRI-funded research is independent of BP, and the results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals with no requirement for BP approval.

Notes to editors:

The GoMRI was announced May 24, 2010

An agreement with the White House announced on June 16th established the condition that BP would consult with the various Gulf States on deployment of the research program. This agreement reflects the successful completion of that process.

In September 2010, BP and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance announced the creation of the independent, twenty-member Research Board

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico.

The independent scientific research will be conducted at academic institutions primarily in the US Gulf Coast states. However, appropriate partnerships with institutions based outside the US Gulf region will be welcome.

GoMRI is intended to promote the highest professional standards of independent, peer-reviewed scientific research.

Funds will be distributed using the practice of merit review by peer evaluation as described in the 2005 Report of the National Science Board (NSB-05-119).

Individual researchers will comply with professional standards as laid out in the National Academy of Sciences Publication – On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research (2009).

All GoMRI-funded research will be independent of BP. We place no constraints on the publication of such research, and expect the results to be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Grants will be used to fund research, including sampling, modelling and other studies. Grants are not intended to fund the acquisition or construction of infrastructure such as ships or laboratories.

All of the grants and funding mentioned in this release are reflected in the 2010 full year pre-tax charge of $40.9bn related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.